France will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands

France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.

The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.

French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and individuals.

"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."

Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.

Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the boats.

The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.

That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.

Now French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.

UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.

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